John McCain's War

Washington, D.C.-based think tank in cooperation with Arizona State University whose mission is to "advance leadership based on security, economic opportunity, freedom, and human dignity, in the United States and around the world." The institute was formed in 2012 and is named after U.S. Senator and 2008 Republican Party presidential nominee John McCain from Arizona. Based in Washington, D.C., the McCain Institute is part of Arizona State University. The current executive director of the McCain Institute is Kurt Volker.

(born 1962) is the former United States Permanent Representative to NATO, having served in that position from July 2, 2008 to May 15, 2009.

He began his career in foreign affairs as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency in 1986.

In 1988, he joined the United States Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer in the United States Foreign Service. While in the Foreign Service, he served as a legislative fellow on the staff of Senator John McCain from 1997 to 1998. In 1998, he became first secretary of the US mission to NATO, and in 1999 he became Deputy Director of NATO Secretary-General George Robertson's private office, serving in that position until 2001.

He then became acting director for European and Eurasian Affairs for the National Security Council, in that capacity he was in charge of US preparations for 2004 Istanbul summit of NATO members and the 2002 Prague summit. In July 2005, He became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, serving in that position until he was appointed United States Permanent Representative to NATO in July 2008 by President George W. Bush.

In 2011, he joined BGR Group, a Washington-based lobbying firm and investment bank, where he currently serves as a managing director in the firm's international group. He then began his work with the McCain Institute.

A militant group affiliated to Islamic State in Egypt claimed responsibility for the downing of a Russian passenger plane that crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula on Saturday, the group said in a statement circulated by supporters on Twitter.

Egyptian security sources earlier on Saturday said early investigations suggested the plane crashed due to a technical fault. The claim of responsibility was also carried by the Aamaq website which acts as a semi official news agency for Islamic State. "The fighters of the Islamic State were able to down a Russian plane over Sinai province that was carrying over 220 Russian crusaders. They were all killed, thanks be to God," the statement circulated on Twitter said.